I found an LP of this in my dad's record collection, it is awesome! This album is in the period before Szabo got into pop and psycadelia. Carlos Santana was greatly influenced by this record, and he covered "Gypsy Queen" (It's the second part of Black Magic Woman).

His guitar ideas and the rythms are great and very original. Chico Hamilton was part of album. This may be a but pricey because it's an import, but it represents some of his finer work, before he became a pop musician.

If you buy albums and Jazz Guitar is one of your preferences, this CD is an absolute must for your collection. Gabor Szabo was born a Hungary. Chico Hamilton heard him while on tour and offered him the guitar spot in his orchestra. He came to the United States and played with Hamilton for over six years. While Chico led an inspired percussion group, it was Gabor Szabo's spellbinding guitar which was the driving force to a new and mesmerizing sound. This album, Spellbinder, is his first effort on his own. To wish him well, Chico Hamilton came over and played percussion. I have over 700 jazz albums, 300 of which are guitarists. This album would be in my top five. Gabor Szabo was a gifted and indeed a great guitar player. Carlos Santana would have been just another player if he hadn't been influenced by Szabo's unique style. So my advice to you is buy this album, put on your head phones, and kick back. It shouldn't take you long to see why they called it "SPELLBINDER'.

SPELLBINDER is the album that got Szabo the acclaim he deserved. To this day, musicians and fans alike make Gabor Szabo the guitarist they revere because of this effort. Kicking off with the title-track, followed by "Witchcraft", "It Was A Very Good Year" and "Gypsy Queen" make the first part of the album a "mini-suite"; all but "It Was A Very Good Year" went on an Impulse 'Best Of' package, too. You've got to hear the cool chords and Gabor finally singing "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)"! "Cheetah" is a sort of "theme for a go-go club". "My Foolish Heart" and "Yearning" are also 'must hears', which went on an Impulse 'Greatest Hits' double album. While put together are two French compositions which were said to have always sounded good played together (at least by Gabor), "Autumn Leaves"/"Speak To Me Of Love". The two songs are seamlessly melded together along with the other numbers and this is the one album you'll also revere Szabo by, too. It is a Must-Hear, Must-OWN!